Multi-modality imaging systems exist that scan using different modalities, for example, Positron Emission Tomography (PET), Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT), PET/CT, SPECT/CT, and PET/MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). During operation, such conventional imaging systems may exhibit image quality that is affected by motion of the object being imaged. For example, PET imaging of the lung and abdomen region is generally affected by patient respiratory motion. The respiratory motion may cause an underestimation, for example, of tumor uptake and an overestimation of tumor volume. Moreover, imaging of a brain region or respiratory region (e.g., with PET or SPECT) may suffer from image related artifacts that are undetectable and compromise a health professionals interpretation of such imaging.
The present invention addresses such problems.